PIC 0: Titlecard appears with the words: “Being Open with Trusted Adults.”
Jake came to me. He vented to me.
PIC 1: Cara appears in front of a school background.
I just wanted to help my friend. And even though I said he should talk to someone like Ms. Powers, he didn’t seem interested.
That left me wondering what to do next, and at the time, I wasn’t sure. I didn’t want to get him in trouble, or make him mad at me.
As I saw it, my options were:
PIC 2: Next to Cara, a thought bubble appears with Jake’s image and question marks floating around. The options Cara mentioned are listed inside.
So: “Do nothing.” I kept thinking to myself it's not a big deal, right?
PIC 3: Zooms in on the thought bubble with Jake’s image and question marks. The first option, “Do nothing,” is highlighted.
Jake isn’t actually going to do anything. He’s just blowing off steam. I don’t want to get him in trouble.
And if I tell someone and he finds out, will he ever trust me again?
PIC 4: Cara reappears again on screen.
But, what if it was a big deal? What if Jake really did do something? I, I couldn’t risk it.
If he was really thinking about going there, Jake needed more than our quick talk to be okay. So doing nothing didn’t seem like a real option.
PIC 5: The thought bubble with the image of Jake reappears, now with the first option “Do Nothing” crossed out.
That took me to “check in with Jake.”
PIC 6: In the same thought bubble, the second option, “Check in with Jake,” is highlighted.
Maybe I could just talk to Jake again.
I mean, it's not like Jake said, “I’m going to bring a gun to school,” or “I’m going to kill myself, then they’ll regret it.
PIC 7: These quotes appear in the thought bubble.
That would have been a pretty clear sign that I needed to report it right away.
So, I could just ask him right?
PIC 8: Cara reappears on screen.
But do you really always mean what you say, or say what you mean? Would I really be able to figure out what was going through his head?
Okay, so then I thought, well, Jake isn’t the problem anyway. I can just “yell at Wyatt.”
PIC 9: The thought bubble with Jake’s image reappears, and the second option, “Check in with Jake,” is crossed out. Right below it, the third option “Yell at Wyatt,” is now highlighted.
If I yelled at Wyatt, maybe he would back off or maybe not. It could get worse for Jake, or Wyatt could start bothering me, too.
Then again, is this really even about Wyatt?
PIC 10: Cara reappears on screen.
Sure, Wyatt should get in trouble, but Jake is in a bad place and needs someone to talk to. Someone more than just me, because adults can give, or at least find, the kind of help that Jake needs.
So that brought me to “talking to Ms. Powers,” the teacher I trust most.
PIC 11: The thought bubble with Jake’s image reappears, and the third option, “Yell at Wyatt,” is crossed out. Right below it, the last option “Talk to Ms. Powers,” is now highlighted.
Was I scared of what Jake might do? Maybe. You know what, definitely.
So I decided I needed to do the right thing to keep us all safe. The biggest thing for me was making sure my friend Jake was okay, that he got the support he needed.
If you’re worried that somebody is going to get hurt, or hurt someone else, or themself, reach out to an adult who can help.
PIC 12: Cara reappears, with the “Talk to an Adult” words appearing beside her.
When there’s danger, you can’t handle it by yourself. You need to share what you know with an adult who can figure out the best help possible.
I went to Ms. Powers since she’s someone I trust and she knows Jake.
But there are so many different people we can talk to, like a teacher or someone on the school staff, like a counselor, or a school administrator, or a coach.
And don’t forget you can always talk to your parents or even a friend’s parents.
PIC 13: Next to Cara, a list with the header “Who to Talk to” with two speech bubble icons appear in a graphic circle. The list reads: teacher, counselor, administrator, coach, and parents.
Really, what you’re looking for is someone you know who will be there to listen and help, someone who can do something to make sure everyone’s safe.
PIC 14: In the same graphic circle, the words now read “Talk to someone who listens and helps, ensures everyone is safe.”
Because in the end, what’s really important is remembering that we're here for each other and that everyone knows they have someone they can turn to.
PIC 15: Zoom in shot that centers on Cara.
Talking to a trusted adult is the most important thing we can do to keep our friends and school safe.
Our actions matter. We can make a difference.